


Revenge

by theLiterator



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-28
Updated: 2010-01-28
Packaged: 2017-10-08 18:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/78537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theLiterator/pseuds/theLiterator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the dungeons of the Arl of Denerim's estate, Aedan finds someone he can't help but save.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Revenge

Aedan looked at the elf-girl shivering in the cell, naked, broken. He gestured imperiously for Zevran to unlock it, not taking his eyes off of her, wondering how she could still be alive after all the abuse evident on her skin.

When Zevran had finally mastered the lock on the cell, Aedan put his hands up in surrender and entered the cell. The girl flinched.

"Hey, hey," he soothed, crouching when he got close, but not close enough to touch. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Wide, terrified eyes blinked at him. Aedan noted the ring of bruising around the left, the swollen, infected cut dangerously near the right.

"I'm Aedan. I'm a Grey Warden. Do you know what that means?"

She nodded once, slowly; then closed her eyes. The resignation inherent in that gesture made Aedan see red. He wished he could make Howe pay for his crimes again. And again.

He may have growled. The girl flinched away, mouthing 'please don't' over and over.

He regained control of himself with effort. "It means I'm here to rescue you." Alistair murmured an agreement from behind him.

To his surprise, Zevran joined them in the cell. "The shem who hurt you is dead," he assured, and Aedan was surprised to hear that sort of bastardized Elvish from him.

The girl opened her eyes again, turning her blank stare in Zevran's direction.

"You have weapons," she said after a moment. "I had a sword. My cousin borrowed it. My cousin—oh, Shianni." She brought her hands to her face, the right one mangled and badly healed.

"Shianni would want for you to come home safe, wouldn't she?" Aedan asked.

"She made me promise. She made me promise not to tell. I never told."

"Of course you didn't. You're a good cousin. Shianni will definitely agree when we get you home, won't she?"

The girl let her hands fall from her face. "Shianni is in the Alienage. They said they purged the Alienage. Shianni, oh... Soris." She shook her head, the stinking mass of her hair fell over her eyes.

"We won't know until we get you back to the Alienage." Aedan said decisively. "Come on then. I'm not leaving you."

He stood, offered her his hand, which she eyed warily for a moment before taking it. Standing, she cut an even more pitiful figure.

He manhandled her into clothing and armor they'd stripped off a dying guard, struggling with the justification for this. Helping someone simply because Rendon Howe had hurt her seemed such a paltry excuse, yet Aedan knew he had little other motive than that.

"My name is Aedan Cousland," he said, trying again. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Cousland?"

"Yes."

"Howe hated you. He wanted you dead for what he did to you."

"I'm unsurprised."

She nodded. "Kallian."

He handed her a dagger, hilt first. "Shall we?"

A feral grin lit her features, erased the terrified shell of a woman and replaced it with a vengeful creature. "Howe may be dead, but his guards are not, I am sure."

Aedan laughed viciously, and led the way.   
***

As always, comments are love.


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